Agence France Presse

WASHINGTON - White House hopeful Hillary Clinton insisted Monday that her plans to pull combat troops out of Iraq would represent a triumph for US diplomacy and not defeat at the hands of Al-Qaeda.

The former first lady traded long-distance barbs with Republican John McCain as he visited Baghdad, and also assailed her Democratic rival Barack Obama as failing to match his oratory on Iraq with anti-war action in the US Senate.

McCain's presidential campaign shot back by accusing Clinton of waging "intellectually dishonest attacks," as the Republican senator argued that the Democrats' plans to exit Iraq would signal victory for the extremists of Al-Qaeda.

In a speech ahead of the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion on Thursday, Clinton laid out her own plans to rebuild regional diplomacy, enlist the United Nations and craft a new foreign policy shed of the Iraq albatross.

Arguing that Iraq was "a war we cannot win," the New York senator said McCain was determined to extend the "failed policy" of President George W. Bush should he win office in November's presidential election.

A planned withdrawal would let the United States free up troops for the fight in Afghanistan and billions of dollars for US education and health care, and cajole Iraq's government into taking long-overdue action for itself.

"Let's be clear: withdrawal is not defeat," she said.

"Defeat is keeping troops in Iraq for 100 years, defeat is straining our alliances and losing our standing in the world, defeat is draining our resources and diverting attention from our key interests."

In her speech, Clinton made no mention of her vote in 2002 to authorize military intervention in Iraq. Obama has flagged that vote to argue the former first lady lacks the critical judgment needed to occupy the Oval Office.

Campaigning in Pennsylvania, the Democrats' next nominating battleground on April 22, the Illinois senator said it was time for a clean break with the past.

"We cannot wait to bring this war in Iraq to a close," Obama said.

"Our economy is in a shambles. The dream that so many generations fought for feels like it's slipping away," he added, as Wall Street reeled from the fire-sale of bankrupt investment bank Bear Stearns.

While the deadlocked Democrats brawl among themselves on the road to Pennsylvania and their August convention, McCain can afford to strut the diplomatic stage secure on the path to the Republican nomination.

Speaking from Baghdad before heading on to Jordan, Israel and Europe, the Arizona senator said the Democrats were "dead wrong" to argue last year that the Iraq war was lost.

Clinton, he told CNN, "obviously does not understand nor appreciate the progress that's been made on the ground. The surge is working."

Withdrawal would mean "that Al Qaeda wins," he added.

Campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker reiterated that McCain's position, that US troops may have to stay in Iraq for 100 years, referred to a post-war security presence of the type seen in Germany and South Korea.

"At a time when Senator Clinton knows that American and allied forces are making real progress in Iraq, it is unfortunate that she would look to score political points by mischaracterizing Senator McCain's statement with intellectually dishonest attacks," Hazelbaker said.

Both the Democratic hopefuls want a phased withdrawal of US combat forces, with a rump presence left to tackle Al-Qaeda remnants. While Obama wants to get troops out by the end of 2009, Clinton has not spelt out an end-date.

She drew attention to recent remarks by a former foreign policy aide to Obama, who had said in a BBC interview that the Illinois senator's withdrawal plans might change should he capture the White House, depending on events.

"Senator Obama has said often that words matter. I strongly agree. But giving speeches alone won't end the war, and giving campaign promises you won't keep certainly won't," Clinton said.

Clinton, waging an uphill battle to overhaul Obama's delegate lead before the August convention, has battered his credentials to be commander-in-chief -- but the real beneficiary may be McCain.

A weekend poll by Zogby gave the Republican 45 percent to 39 percent for Clinton in a hypothetical November match-up. Against Obama, McCain led by 44 percent to 39.